Non-naturally occurring mycobacteria in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex are provided. These mycobacteria have a deletion of an RD1 region or a region controlling production of a vitamin, and exhibit attenuated virulence in a mammal when compared to the mycobacteria without the deletion. Also provided are non-naturally occurring mycobacteria that have a deletion of a region controlling production of lysine, and mycobacteria comprising two attenuating deletions. Vaccines comprising these mycobacteria are also provided, as are methods of protecting mammals from virulent mycobacteria using the vaccines. Also provided are methods of preparing these vaccines which include the step of deleting an RD1 region or a region controlling production of a vitamin or the amino acids leucine and lysine from a mycobacterium in the M. tuberculosis complex. Embodiments of these mycobacteria, vaccines and methods, encompassing mycobacteria comprising a leucine auxotrophy and a pantothenate auxotrophy, are also provided.
1. A non-naturally occurring Mycobacterium tuberculosis auxotrophic for leucine and pantothenate, wherein the M. tuberculosis exhibits attenuated virulence in a mammal when compared to the M. tuberculosis without the leucine and pantothenate auxotrophy.
2. The M. tuberculosis of claim 1 , wherein the leucine auxotrophy is due to a deletion in a leuD gene.
3. The M. tuberculosis of claim 2 , wherein the deleted region of the leuD gene has at least 95% homology to SEQ ID NO:5.
4. The M. tuberculosis of claims 1 , wherein the pantothenate auxotrophy is due to a deletion in a panCD gene.
5. The M. tuberculosis of claim 4 , wherein the deleted region of the panCD gene has at least 95% homology to SEQ ID NO:2.
6. The M. tuberculosis of claim 1 , wherein the leucine auxotrophy is due to a deletion in a leuD gene and the pantothenate auxotrophy is due to a deletion in a panCD gene.
7. The M. tuberculosis of claim 6 , wherein the deleted region of the leuD gene has at least 95% homology to SEQ ID NO:5 and the deleted region of the panCD gene has at least 95% homology to SEQ ID NO:2.
8. A mycobacterium in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, genetically engineered to comprise a deletion causing leucine auxotrophy and a deletion causing pantothenate auxotrophy.
9. The mycobacterium of claim 8 , wherein the deletion causing leucine auxotrophy is from a leuD gene and the deletion causing pantothenate auxotrophy is from a panCD gene.
10. The mycobacterium of claim 8 , wherein the mycobacterium is a Mycobacterium bovis.
11. The mycobacterium of claim 8 , wherein the mycobacterium is a Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
12. The mycobacterium of claim 9 , wherein the deletion of the leuD gene has at least 95% homology to SEQ ID NO:5.
13. The mycobacterium of claim 9 , wherein the deletion of the panCD gene has at least 95% homology to SEQ ID NO:2.
14. The mycobacterium of claim 9 , wherein the deletion of the leuD gene has at least 95% homology to SEQ ID NO:5 and the deletion of the panCD gene has at least 95% homology to SEQ ID NO:2.
15. A tuberculosis vaccine comprising the M. tuberculosis of claim 1 in a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, wherein the vaccine is capable of protecting a mammal from challenge by a virulent M. tuberculosis.
16. A tuberculosis vaccine comprising the mycobacterium of claim 11 in a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, wherein the vaccine is capable of protecting a mammal from challenge by a virulent M. tuberculosis.